Who Fic Prompts
by Spydurwebb
Summary: Various prompts for both Classic and New Who that people have given me these last few weeks. Any characters or pairings are possible, although Sarah Jane seems to feature in several.
1. Closer in A Cave: Three, Sarah

**Title: Closer in a Cave**

**Pairing: Three/Sarah**

**Rating: Teen**

**Prompt: Three/Sarah Jane, sex pollen. **

The Doctor grabbed Sarah and pulled her an alcove of the cave. She could feel a sneeze coming on, but held it as long as possible, before giving into it, turning her head and sneezing. 'What was that we just went through?'

He frowned, rubbing the back of his neck thoughtfully. 'Some sort of primitive pollen, I'm sure. Nothing to worry about, Sarah Jane.'

She turned and looked up at him, the dim light of the cave glinting off his silver hair. 'Do you feel funny?' When he looked down at her, she couldn't quite put her finger on his expression. 'No, of course you don't. It's probably a human thing, right?'

He continued to watch her, but said nothing.

Her eyes felt funny as she looked up at him. 'You're going to tell me I'm being stupid, aren't you?'

He shook his head, his hand reaching up to caress her cheek. 'I think we may be in significant trouble.'

'Why?' Her voice was soft and lower, much lower in pitch and tone than normal. It didn't help his situation.

'Those spores, they're something more. Something that alters physical body chemistry.' He felt himself slipping into her gaze, getting lost, his physical body reacting automatically in ways he never would if in control of all of his faculties.

She clung to him, her mind reeling in what his words implied, yet her body comforted by his closeness. 'What are you saying?'

'We may not be in full control.' He held her close, wanting to feel her even closer. His scientific mind tried to concentrate on the logic of the situation, but the spores continued to tug at other things. 'Of our bodies,' he added as an afterthought. He leaned in close to her ear, inhaling the scent of her hair. 'I'm afraid we may do something that one or both of us regret.'

Sarah caught on to what he meant as their physical closeness made their situation obvious. 'Are we being watched?' she forced her brain to ask.

He looked around before focusing all his energy on her. 'No, it doesn't appear so.'

She reached up and ran her hand through his silver locks. 'We're both adults.'

'Indeed.'

'Then I have no regrets.'

As he captured her lips with hers and gently lowered her to the cave floor, he whispered. 'Me neither.'


	2. A Jail By Any Other Name: Five, Sarah

**Title: A Jail by Any Other Name**

**Characters: Five/Sarah**

**Rating: Teen**

**Prompt: Five/Sarah Jane, the return**

'Oh I can assure you, Ambassador,' the Egyptian jailer oozed, 'there are no English prisoners here.'

The Doctor stared at the jailer. 'Oh really?' He quickly headed towards one side, then jumped to the other and went around the jailer. Walking past several closed doors, he flung open the fifth door on the left and gestured inside without looking. 'These two don't look Egyptian to me.'

The jailer quickly joined the Doctor in the doorway of the cell. 'The man was born in England, but is of Egyptian heritage. He is a traitor to the government.'

The Doctor glanced inside at the two people chained to the wall, barely conscious. 'And the woman?'

'His accomplice.' The jailer tried to pull the door of the cell shut, but the Doctor prevented it. 'Ambassador, please, we are just trying to do what is right for our government.'

The Doctor shoved his hands in into the pockets of his striped trousers. 'It is against international regulations to keep a female in these sorts of conditions. At the very least, I'm going to take her from here now and make sure she receives appropriate medical attention. Her companion's case will be routed to the top of the ambassadorial queue and seen at the first opportunity.'

The jailer crossed his arms as the Doctor pushed his way into the cell. 'I'm sorry, Ambassador, but my regulations insist – '

The Doctor cut him off. 'Your regulations are primitive in almost any society. It's amazing you made it past the dark ages. And to think that at one point, Egyptian society was the top of the civilized world.' He knelt next to the woman. 'Undo these shackles now.'

The jailer undid the shackles as demanded. The Doctor wrapped an arm around the woman's waist and pulled her to stand. 'Come along, Miss Smith. Protocols require that you see a doctor.'

Groggy, Sarah sagged against him. Realising she wouldn't be able to walk out on her own accord, the Doctor quickly scooped her up. The jailer could only watch as the Doctor made his way out of the cell. 'Do you require transportation, Ambassador?'

The Doctor shook his head. 'No, I've arranged all that already.' He carried Sarah out of the jail and quickly turned a corner where the TARDIS waited in a nearby alley. Entering the TARDIS, he hit the door lever with his elbow.

Sarah lifted her head off of the Doctor's shoulder and took in her surroundings, fully conscious and aware. Her entire illness has been faked. She looked back at the Doctor. 'You can put me down now, Doctor.'

With a smile, the Doctor put Sarah down. 'Do you ever stop getting into trouble?'

She put her hands on her hips. 'And here I thought I'd done a superb acting job there "Ambassador".' She gestured towards his lapel. 'What British ambassador would dress like a cricketer wearing celery on their coat?'

He started flipping switches on the console. 'You needed help, I didn't have time to dress for the occasion.'

She stepped towards him, tentatively reaching out and putting a hand on his arm. 'Thank you,' she whispered. 'I didn't particularly fancy spending another fortnight in those conditions.'

He gave her a gentle smile. 'You're welcome, Sarah.' Another thought crossed his mind. 'What about your companion?'

Sarah shrugged, 'Never met him before in my life. He admits that he's as guilty as they say he is. Some sort of terrorist faction, I believe.'

The Doctor turned to her and tentatively took her hands in his. 'Where would you like to go, Sarah? Any time, anywhere.'

She smiled. 'You choose.'


	3. Once More for Old Flames: Four, Sarah

**Title: Once More for Old Flames **

**Pairing: Four/Sarah**

**Rating: Teen**

**Prompt: Four/Sarah and old flames – done as a continuation of the short story Old Flames, but you don't necessarily need to have read that to read this...**

The Doctor was silent on the walk back from Lady Huntington's manor house to the TARDIS. Sarah could tell from the way he tromped through the forest that he was brooding. Over what, she had no idea, although a few suspicions came to mind. There was something in the way he reacted to seeing Iris Wildthyme, like being faced with a past he'd rather forget. He called her an old friend, nothing more, yet Sarah was sure there was a story there. And of course once something occurred, he pretty much relegated Sarah to the background, choosing to fight alongside Iris and wrap the situation up in his own unique way.

So, nothing different there then.

Sarah wondered why she did it. Why she put up with him. As she concentrated on his retreating back, his head down and hands shoved in his pockets, she had to almost run to keep up. He was thinking. Or pouting, but it was hard to tell from her vantage point. Which was often the problem with him. Here was a man, no, Time Lord, she corrected herself, who could stare down the scariest of adversaries, then turn into a petulant child in zero point two seconds.

He wasn't like this before his regeneration.

That thought brought her up with a start. It had been quite some time since she'd thought about his previous incarnation. She'd gotten so involved in the excitement of their travels. Constantly whizzing about, righting wrongs, saving civilisations. They'd gotten caught up in the moment, and in each other. It was certainly a change from the way things used to be with his older grey model.

She continued to watch him as he stomped ahead of her. Her brain thought back to the last time they were in the TARDIS. Alone. The way he looked at her, his eyes reaching depths no physical touch ever could. Sometimes she wondered if he were looking right through her, if every thought and memory was laid bare for him to absorb. It would never last, she told herself, but she was determined to enjoy every moment and treasure it. Would he react to her one day the way he did Iris? Would he regret their involvement? It was not a train of thought she wanted to dwell much on.

Sarah could see the TARDIS up ahead of them. As they approached, she briefly wondered whether if she were in her correct time, it was time to stop. To go ahead and leave while things were good. The last thing she wanted to do was for them to have some sort of fight or falling out so that their parting would be uncomfortable. However, this wasn't her time, so when the Doctor opened the door for her, she didn't hesitate to cross the threshold.

The Doctor strode up to the console and started punching in coordinates. Punching them in, Sarah noted, not just simply setting them. He was definitely aggravated. And she knew it wouldn't be long before he would let her know exactly why.

He didn't let her down. Only a moment later, he turned to her, his voice harsh, but his eyes looked hurt. 'Uncle! He thinks I'm your uncle!'

His tone made her instantly argumentative as she put her hands on her hips in defence. She knew exactly who he was talking about. Captain Turner, Iris's companion. 'What did you expect me to say?'

'Well...' the Doctor started, then his thoughts trailed off.

Sarah walked over and put a hand on his arm, her voice softening. 'We were in the 18th century. Somehow calling you "my alien best friend and sometimes lover" doesn't quite flow off the tongue so eloquently. It would also get us a few stares.'

'Well...' he tried again, but drifted off. Sarah only lifted an eyebrow in response. He stared out into space for quite some time, before turning and giving her one of his large Cheshire cat grins as he took her face in his hands. 'I suppose discretion is the better form of valour.' He ran his fingers along her cheekbones as he gave her that look that burned through her.

Sarah bit her bottom lip as the question nagged at her subconscious. Unable to hold back, she finally asked. 'Iris is a Time Lord?'

'Yes.'

'And Turner was her companion.'

'Apparently.'

'Why would she leave Turner, then?' She couldn't hide the nervousness in her voice. 'Is that something Time Lords do? Abandon their companions in some strange place?'

The Doctor caught it immediately. 'No, of course not!' He slid his hands down her arms and took her hands in his. 'Time Lords are a different sort, of course, but Iris and I obviously aren't the same. You know that, don't you, Sarah?'

She gave him a nod and a small smile. 'So where to next?' She turned to look at the coordinate panel.

The Doctor shifted to stand behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder. 'Do you have a preference?'

'Some place warm?'

His voice was low as he smiled. 'I thought maybe the beaches of Valarnian Seven. They have turquoise waters comparable to Earth's Caribbean, but with no equivalent to sharks.'

She tilted her head to lean against his, covering his hands with hers. She closed her eyes, content to live in this moment, committing every second to memory.


	4. Starting Over: Ace

**Title: Starting Over**

**Characters: Ace**

**Rating: Teen**

**Prompt: Ace in the Time War**

Her nose felt assaulted by a million different smells as she regained consciousness. Sniffing the air, Ace finally opened her eyes. 'Earth,' she growled, her voice still raspy. She closed her eyes again, searching out with her mind as the Doctor taught her all those decades ago. Her time at the Academy served her well during the war and the ability to sense other Time Lords came in handy. Except she only felt the cold emptiness rivalling only the fall of Arcadia. So many Time Lords had perished that day. And now everything was quiet. Too quiet.

She pushed herself up into a sitting position and tried to get her bearings. 'The Doctor did it,' she whispered. The last she remembered, she'd been on Gallifrey. The Final Option, the Doctor had called it. She'd stood by him for so many years now, and yet she still looked like the Earth teenager that met him in the 80's. She'd known him through his regeneration and fought with the other Time Lords against the Daleks. And now it was over as suddenly as it had begun.

She could still hear the sounds of the explosions ringing in her ears and smell the differences of every explosive burning through her nostrils. But she was alive. Something she never expected to be.

She had no idea whether the Doctor had survived. Whether any of the Time Lords had survived. Or the Daleks for that matter. With a sigh, Ace stood up, dusted herself off and started to walk towards anything that might be civilisation in the hopes of starting her life anew, yet again.


	5. Are You Happy: Six, Mel, Peri

**Title: Are You Happy? **

**Characters: Six, Mel, mentions of Peri**

**Rating: Teen**

**Prompt: Change one thing in the Doctor's history.**

With the burden of his trial over, the Doctor stood at the TARDIS console, head bowed. Mel came through the interior door and came to stand beside him. 'What's wrong Doctor?' she asked after a minute of silently watching him.

He turned to look down at her. 'Huge chunks of my memory are missing!' he barked before softening his voice. 'I'm sorry, Mel. The Matrix is not kind to an old Time Lord's dendrites.'

He went silent again, staring blankly straight ahead. Mel put a hand on his arm, but said nothing.

'They told me she died,' he whispered.

'Who?'

'Peri. She's my friend, a very dear friend. We travelled together.' He sighed. 'She probably thinks I've abandoned her.'

Mel thought for a moment. 'Well, why don't you go check on her? The Inquisitor said she stayed with someone, right?'

'Ycarnos,' the Doctor nodded before slamming his fist against the console and raised his voice again. 'Ycarnos! What in the name of Rassilon would she see in him? He's overbearing, obnoxious and loud!' He stomped around the console slamming buttons.

'Maybe the same thing she saw in you.'

The Doctor turned and glared at her. 'I'm not sure what you're implying.'

'Look, Doctor,' Mel rationalised, 'you'll feel better if you see for herself that she's happy.'

"You could've come back." The words echoed in the Doctor's mind as a memory, but something was off. He had no memory of anyone saying that to him, so he reasoned it away as a Matrix echo. 'And what if she isn't? What then?'

Mel put her hands on her hips. It seemed so simple to her. 'You figure it out. You're both adults.'

The Doctor finally smiled. 'You're right. Let's go!'


	6. Best View in the Universe: Donna, Wilf

**Title: Best View in the Universe**

**Characters: Donna, Wilf**

**Rating: All**

**Prompt: for Sleepismyfriend who wanted to see Donna**

Donna stood back, staying out of sight as her grandfather set up his telescope and perch for watching the stars. She knew that while he always searched the stars for "dem aliens" as he called them, she also knew that now he also watched for her. While she travelled with the Doctor, Wilf never knew when Donna would pop home for a visit. He always watched the skies, hoping to see a glimpse of that little blue box.

With a smile, Donna finally took a step forward and cleared her throat. Wilf whipped around and seeing her, threw open his arms for a warm hug. 'Donna, Sweetheart, when did you get here?'

'Hi Gramps!' Donna couldn't help brushing away a tear. She treasured each moment she got to spend with Wilf and knew that with each passing year, those would become more and more valuable. 'We just landed.'

'So, where's the Doctor, then?'

'He had some errand to run, he said.'

Wilf patted the little perch seat. 'Well come over and sit yourself down and spend the evening watching the stars with your old Gramps.'

Donna smiled. 'Best view in the universe.'


	7. Now Where Do We Go: Three, Sarah

**Title: Now Where Do We Go?**

**Pairing: Three/Sarah**

**Rating: Teen**

**Prompt: For loulouflowerpower who wanted to see more Three/Sarah and Gardfield71 who wanted a sequel to Closer in A Cave. This covers both!  
**

NOW WHERE DO WE GO?

Sarah stretched out on the sofa in one of the living rooms of the TARDIS. She had her head resting on the arm of the sofa and her eyes closed. She draped her arm across her eyes to block out more of the lighting that leeched around her eyelids.

The Doctor walked in and saw her. With a smile, he stood near the end of the sofa and just rested his hand on the top of her head. 'How are you feeling, my dear?'

'Can't you get the TARDIS to dim the lights in here?'

The Doctor walked over and pulled open one of the roundels in the wall and made a couple of adjustments on one of the controls inside before replacing the roundel and glancing back at Sarah. 'Better?'

Sarah moved her arm enough to peek out of one eye. 'Yea, thanks.' She shifted her arm and began to massage her aching temples. 'That cave pollen had some nasty side effects. I haven't had a hangover like this since the day after my uni graduation.'

'Seems most intoxicants have universal side effects.' The Doctor knelt down by the end of the sofa and reached out to take over massaging Sarah's temples. She hummed appreciatively.

'Let me guess, Time Lords don't get hangovers.'

'We just process things faster, so my headache didn't last nearly as long.'

'Lucky.'

They stayed in silence the longest time, just enjoying the companionship and quiet. Sarah was dangerously close to falling asleep when the Doctor stopped his relaxing massage. She opened her eyes and looked up at him. He was just watching her, smiling, his eyes making it obvious he was deep in thought.

She sat up slowly. 'What?'

He sat down beside her and draped his arm across her shoulders. 'I was just wondering if we should talk about what happened in the cave.'

Sarah sighed. 'You said we've have no regrets.'

'And you don't?'

She shook her head and smiled. 'No.' Not able to meet his gaze, she quickly focused on the floor. 'Although if you do, that's ok. I mean, I won't hold it against you. Our friendship means too much to me. Besides, we weren't exactly 100% ourselves.'

He reached over and put a finger over her lips, shushing her. 'Sarah, shhh.' He caressed her cheek. 'I don't have any regrets. But you have to know that this does change things somewhat, and it won't be like any relationship you've been in before.'

Sarah smiled. 'That seems like a loaded statement.'

'You've no idea,' the Doctor admitted softly before leaning in to give her a chaste kiss.

~!~!~!~


	8. Standing At Attention: The Brig

**TITLE: Standing at Attention**

**CHARACTERS: Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart**

**RATING: All**

**SUMMARY: The Brigadier has been summoned to the Palace.**

Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart stood at full attention, waiting for the footman to show him in. It was extremely rare for Her Majesty to ask to see him directly. Normally all his reports passed through the Prime Minister. However, with all the recent attacks that seemingly affected the London area, he shouldn't have been surprised. The security around the city as a whole seemed to be increasing, and rumours were flying about regarding changes in policy towards alien "aggressors". He couldn't stop his lips twitching towards a smile at what the Doctor's reaction to all that might be.

Actually, it might affect the Doctor more than originally thought. Geneva was getting highly skeptical of all of the cases solved by this previously unknown scientific adviser. The more dangerous the incursions became and the higher the casualty rate, the more Geneva wanted to bring the spotlight down on UNIT and the Doctor in particular. As if he might be the cause, not the solution. Preposterous, of course, but that was bureaucracy for you. The Brigadier hated all the paperwork, but he knew the necessity of it. And orders is orders.

The footman approached the door. 'Her Majesty will see you now, Brigadier.' With a nod, the Brigadier clasped his file folder tightly in his left hand and snapped to attention, waiting to be announced. Oddly, a stray thought crossed his mind about how naked he felt without his swagger stick.


	9. Visiting the Past: Brig, Eleven

**TITLE: Visiting the Past**

**CHARACTERS: Eleven, Brig, others mentioned**

**RATING: All**

**SUMMARY: After the events of Power of Three, the Doctor takes a side trip. Post Death of the Doctor for everyone else.**

VISITING THE PAST

The Brigadier, Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart sat at his oversized dining table, an old-fashioned corded telephone to his ear. 'I agree, the time to make changes is now. Colonel Karim is probably lucky she doesn't have to face the consequences of her actions. Bringing in civilians and children and exposing them to such danger goes contrary to everything UNIT stands for.' He paused as the other person spoke. 'I'm just glad everyone's all right. I wouldn't want to have to explain to the Doctor that something had happened to Sarah Jane on UNIT's watch.' Another pause. 'Oh, well of course he was, that explains quite a lot.'

A young man walked into the room, a goofy smile on his face. 'Nice place you have here Alistair.' He realised the Brig was on the phone, and held up his hands. 'Oh, so sorry, please finish up.'

The Brig looked at the young man. 'And now he's here,' he said in the phone. 'I'll talk to you later. Are you coming for dinner on Sunday?' After the person's response, the Brig smiled. 'Excellent, I'll let Liz know and we'll see you then.'

He hung up the phone and folded his hands on the table. 'Doctor, I presume.'

'You're getting better at this,' the Doctor grinned as he straightened his bow tie and flopped down into the seat next to Alistair. He pointed at the phone. 'Changes to UNIT?'

'Well, we'll see how all that shakes out over time. Now, Doctor, what can I do for you?'

'What, can't I just visit an old friend? Say hello, that sort of thing?'

'Since when?'

'Since now?'

The Brig pointed at a decanter on a nearby table. 'Would you like a drink?'

The Doctor started to frown, knowing alcohol wasn't his favourite in this incarnation, then he looked across at the man in front of him. 'Why not?' he smiled, determined to make himself enjoy this time. He knew he was breaking the laws of time, but he also knew he didn't care. He'd done it before, and he'd do it again. No harm done like this.

The Brig stood up and went to pour them both a glass, then handed one to the Doctor. 'I am glad to hear that the rumours of your death were greatly exaggerated.'

'You know me, always kicking about the universe somewhere. Stopping invasions, righting wrongs, you know, the sort of thing we always did.'

'And which I'd like to do a little less of. I am supposed to be retired you know.' The Brig sat back down. 'It's about time I left the world-saving to the next generation, wouldn't you say, Doctor?'

'Speaking of the next generation, I met Kate today, well, today my time, about fifteen or twenty years from now your time, I suppose.'

The Brig held up a hand. 'I don't want to know. The less I know, the less I have to worry about screwing up the timelines.'

The Doctor only smiled and held up his drink to the Brig. 'To times past and times to come.' The Brig smiled and they both took a swig of their drinks.


	10. Exodus of the Daleks: Four, Sarah, Harry

**TITLE: Exodus of the Daleks**

**CHARACTERS: Four, Sarah, Harry**

**RATING: Teen**

**SUMMARY: Despite the Doctor's morality struggle, someone blows up the Daleks in Genesis of the Daleks.**

EXODUS OF THE DALEKS

The Doctor held the two wire strands up in the air. 'Do I have the right?'

Sarah stood by his side, studying her friend, trying to figure out what he was thinking. 'To destroy the Daleks, you can't doubt it?'

'Oh, but I do.' The Doctor continued to explain why he felt that destroying the Daleks at this juncture would make him no better than them, and perhaps change the timelines that were to come. Alliances never created, fears never yielding peace.

Sarah understood his point, but one thing remained. 'You must complete your mission for the Time Lords.'

The Doctor turned and looked at her. 'Who decided they were right to ask me to do this?'

She glanced at Harry, who could only shrug, but offered no real advice. She put a hand on the Doctor's arm. 'Doctor, my only experience with the Daleks before we were sent here was on Exxilon. They were willing to condemn million of humans to die, no second thoughts, no remorse. How many hundreds of millions of people, human and otherwise have died because of them? Right here, right now, you take the lives of a room full of embryonic blobs of hate. Stop them now before their numbers equal the number of lives they've taken.'

The Doctor took a deep breath. 'Sarah, you couldn't possibly understand the implications of what I've been asked to do.'

'Don't I?'

'For the Time Lords to give up on their non-intervention policies to commit genocide of an entire race, it's unimaginable.'

'Who says that the Time Lords haven't looked into the future and seen a time where their very existence is threatened? That might scare them into action. Notice they're not down here doing this themselves, they've asked you, because they think that you're the one most likely to actually do something.'

The Doctor looked at her, his own mind sending conflicting messages. After a minute, he carefully put the wires on the ground, making sure they didn't touch. 'I can't, Sarah.'

As he stepped towards the incubator room, Sarah picked up the wire strands. 'Step back away from the door, Doctor.'

He was at her side in an instant. 'Sarah, you can't!' he hissed.

'Sarah, old girl, be very sure,' Harry added.

The Doctor whipped his head around to glare at Harry but then readdressed Sarah. 'Don't do this, you're not a killer and this will live with you the rest of your days.'

She looked into the eyes of both of her friends, then focused only on the Doctor. Calmly, she brought the two wires together. 'So be it.'

The explosion knocked them all to the ground.

~!~!~!~


	11. Safe: Sarah Jane

**TITLE: SAFE**

**CHARACTER: Sarah Jane Smith**

**RATING: Teen**

**SUMMARY: Sarah ponders her life**

Safe. Such a simple word, but with such a complex meaning. While huge chunks of her life could be considered safe by human standards, to Sarah, they could only be considered boring.

Her university years, those first few times doorstepping, getting her first full time job at Metropolitan. They should've been exciting moments that shaped her life, those safe moments that she remembered fondly for the rest of her life. They faded in comparison.

Staring death in the face, having a Cyberman point a blaster at her, those were the moments that stood out to her. Mostly because in each instance, the Doctor always stood next to her, their hands linked. No matter how dire the circumstances, when the Doctor wrapped his hand around hers, she suddenly felt safe.

Thinking back on it later, she knew it was ridiculous. There were times when they had no idea whether they'd actually escape with their lives. They'd been injured, kidnapped and even tortured, yet they'd always made it out. Together.

Stolen moments in the TARDIS, walking the hallways in silence, quiet companionship. Those moments she ached for long after she'd returned to Earth. She felt more than human, a product and part of the universe in ways she never could be when confined to one planet and one time.

Except she was only human, and now she was confined. For years it haunted her and she longed for the stars once more.

Sarah stood in her attic looking through the telescope at the Crab Nebula. She smiled as a fleet of Artelian freighters moved through her view. A relaxing evening at home, a webcam chat with her son, no alien invasions and a takeaway with her daughter. This was the sort of thing that would normally be considered safe.

Now, finally, she found peace and her purpose.


	12. Changing Time: Ten, Sarah

**TITLE: CHANGING TIME**

**PAIRING: Ten/Sarah**

**RATING: Teen**

**PROMPT: At the end of End of Time, the Tenth Doctor doesn't regenerate…**

'Mum!' Luke Smith called, running for 13 Bannerman Road. Sarah Jane came flying out of the house. 'It's him, it's the Doctor!'

Sarah looked and saw the Doctor's long brown coat retreating towards the TARDIS parked on the corner. The Doctor turned and looked at her. She looked at Luke. 'Tell Mr Smith to activate emergency protocol five. Quickly.' Glancing both ways, she took off down the street after the Doctor.

'Sarah, you need to go back home.'

'Something's happened, I can tell. Let me help you.'

'Sarah—' he started again, then looked into her eyes and saw the determination there. With a silent nod, he opened the TARDIS door and ushered her in. Once they were inside, the Doctor walked up to the console and put his hands on the controls, bowing his head. He took a deep breath, grimacing in pain. 'Regeneration energy building up. Not sure how long I can control it.'

Sarah nodded as she stepped up next to him, putting a hand on his arm. 'What can I do?'

'Why?' He turned to look at her.

'Why what?' She took in his expression, a mix of pain and loss. 'You shouldn't be alone, Doctor. I've seen how you are after a regeneration.'

He turned and wrapped her in a hug, holding her close as if their lives depended on it. 'Thank you. But you just walked into the most dangerous room in the universe. Regenerations are much more explosive since the War.'

'So I'll take cover. I'm going to help you pick up the pieces. That's what best friends do.'

He nodded again, taking a step back away from her. 'Brace yourself, I can't hold it back much longer.'

Sarah took a step back as she saw the glow beginning to appear on the Doctor's hands. As she crossed to the opposite side of the room, the Doctor gave her a small smile and a nod. Sarah watched as an explosion of light surrounded the Doctor. The next thing she knew, a band of energy radiated around the room and knocked her to the ground.

Sarah's eyes fluttered open, the slats in the grates of the TARDIS floor pressing into the side of her face. She pushed herself into a sitting position and moved her jaw around, trying to get the feeling back into her facial muscles. She could see the Doctor's feet on the floor on the other side of the console. Not feeling strong enough to stand, Sarah crawled on her hands and knees around to where the Doctor lay unconscious.

She reached out and ran her fingers through his hair, still just as spiky as it had been. His eyes opened and locked with hers. 'Sarah,' he whispered roughly. 'Am I ginger?'

'Doctor,' Sarah ran a hand along his sideburns, 'you didn't change.'

'What?'

'You didn't regenerate.'

He ran his tongue along his teeth. 'Same teeth.' He brought his hand up to his hair, his fingers feeling along the spikes and the sideburns. 'I didn't change.' He sat up and wrapped his arms around her, practically pulling her into his lap. 'This is wonderful!' He held her close as Sarah's head dropped down to his shoulder.

'The regeneration energy,' Sarah whispered into his shoulder. 'I saw it.'

'I know, but I don't know what happened.' The Doctor could feel her shaking. 'Sarah, what's wrong?'

'Nothing, why?'

'You're shaking.' He wrapped his arms tighter around her and kissed the top of her head.

Sarah slipped her arms around his waist. 'Is it cold in here, or is it just me?'

The Doctor was immediately concerned. He turned her so she faced him and took her face in his hands. 'Oh Sarah.'

Sarah smoothed down his lapels. 'Is something wrong?'

He stood up, pulling Sarah with him. 'Come with me. There's something you need to see.' As she stood up, her legs promptly collapsed under her. The Doctor moved his arm around her waist, supporting her before scooping her up in his arms.

'Oh gosh, I've gotten dizzy,' she let her head fall against the Doctor's chest.

He carried her through the inner door towards the sickbay. 'Don't worry, we'll get this all straightened out, I promise.' He glanced down at her and saw that her eyes were closed. 'Sarah? Sarah Jane? Talk to me.' When she didn't respond, he took a deep breath and walked faster.

Swinging her up onto the bed in sickbay, he looked down and saw she was still unconscious. He tapped lightly on her cheek. 'Sarah, come on, wake up.' He turned on one of the monitors and smiled at the results. 'All right, there's nothing wrong with you.' He took her hand in his. 'That regeneration energy that hit you had some interesting side effects.'

Sarah's eyes fluttered open. 'What happened?' she asked groggily. She turned her head towards him. 'You didn't change.' She smiled, obviously pleased.

He matched her grin with his own. 'Nope,' he replied, popping the "p" at the end. 'But you did.'

Her voice was dark. 'What?'

The Doctor helped Sarah into a sitting position, then grabbed a mirror from next to the bed, holding it up so she could see her reflection. While her features hadn't changed, she looked as if thirty years had disappeared. The few lines around her eyes and mouth were gone and her hair was thicker and fuller with no sign of grey. 'You've regressed, age-wise.'

Sarah stared into the mirror, her hands coming up to touch her own face, disbelieving the evidence in front of her. She sighed deeply and flopped back onto the bed. 'Oh no, not again.'

'Again?' The Doctor raised an eyebrow. 'Sarah Jane Smith, how long have you known that you're not quite human?'

'The Death Zone on Gallifrey.'

'You remember that?'

She propped herself up on her elbows. 'Not only do I remember that, when I came back, I looked ten years younger. Then there was Hong Kong, I woke up in the hospital looking just like I'd gotten home from Aberdeen. And the Dauntless, when I got back to Earth, same thing.'

'Oh Sarah,' the Doctor sank down on the edge of the bed. 'I had no idea. I'm so sorry.'

She sat up on her knees and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. 'I don't blame you, if that's what you think.' She rested her chin on his shoulder and leaned her head against his. 'Doctor, there's no blame in this.' She squeezed his shoulders. 'Do you understand me?'

He turned, and stood up, leaving her kneeling on the bed. 'That's from travelling with me.'

'Or maybe I was always like this. You don't know.' She shifted to hop off the bed and stand in front of him, but a wave of dizziness washed over her. He reached out and caught her to keep her from falling. 'Sorry,' she mumbled. 'Always takes a bit of equalisation when this happens.'

'Sleep, best thing for it,' the Doctor admitted as he picked her up again.

'I can walk, Doctor.'

'Why, when you don't have to.' He looked down at her and grinned. 'I'm going to tuck you into bed and make sure you are stable before I let you out of my sight.'

'Protective much?' she laughed.

'Where you're concerned, yes.'

He made his way towards one of the TARDIS bedrooms. He set her down and made sure she wasn't wobbly before he let her go. 'Why don't I leave you for a minute so you can grab something comfy from the wardrobe and then I'll come back and make sure you're tucked in properly.'

She only nodded, then made her way to the wardrobe as he left, shutting the door behind him.

He leaned back against the door and closed his eyes, his emotions rolling. Yet again, he was forced to acknowledge that he'd inexplicably changed one of his friends. He'd known Sarah for years and yet he'd never known what she went through. It surprised him, but yet, somewhere, in the back of his mind, he had to have known. Some way, some how. He heard her small voice from inside, 'All right, Doctor, I'm decent.'

He walked in to see her standing there, hands on her hips, giving him the look he knew so well. She was dressed in a long flowing white nightdress. It suited her and he knew instantly that the TARDIS made sure she'd found it. He smiled and closed the distance between them, his hands rubbing her upper arms. 'Sarah,' he said with a smile, 'It's time to get you tucked into bed.'

'Why? You said yourself I was perfectly fine. And it's not like this hasn't happened before.'

He nodded, unable to take his eyes away from hers. 'Yes, right. You are. Perfectly fine, nothing wrong at all, nope, not with you. Still, you should rest. It will help with stabilisation.'

'So, what do we do now?'

'I'm going to tuck you in, but first things first.' He took her face in his hands, lowering his face towards hers. 'I've wanted to do this for a long time.' He leaned in, his lips taking possession of hers. Her hands went around his neck, the fingers of one hand running up into his spiky hair. He pulled back to allow her to breathe. 'It's been too long, Sarah.' He slid one arm around her to rub her back as his other hand caressed the base of her neck.

She smiled as she buried her face in his neck. 'I've missed you tucking me in, Doctor.'

He picked her up and in two steps carried her to the bed, easing her down before toeing off his shoes and dropping his jacket in the floor before sliding into bed beside her and adjusting the covers over them. He propped himself up on his elbows, his hands catching in her hair as he leaned over her. He smiled at her, his hearts warmed by the affection he saw radiated there. Bringing his lips to hers, he stopped just short of kissing her. 'My Sarah Jane,' he whispered.

'For always,' she replied before putting her hand in his hair and pulling him down to her.

~!~!~!~


	13. My Best Friend: Four, Sarah

**TITLE: My Best Friend**

**PAIRING: Four/Sarah**

**RATING: Teen**

**PROMPT: Clingy Doctor with lots of hand holding**

MY BEST FRIEND

'Let him go!' Sarah cries as more electric current courses through the Doctor's body, causing him to spasm and cry out. 'Please!' she begs.

The electricity stops and the Doctor falls to the ground. Sarah breaks free of the guard holding her and is at his side in an instant, kneeling on the floor by his head, cradling it in her lap. She loosens the scarf and tie around his neck, then pushes his damp curls away from his forehead, leaning in close to him.

'Why does what happens to him matter to you?' the king asks.

Sarah whips her head around to the king and glares at him, all the while continuing to smooth her hand through the Doctor's hair. 'Because he's my friend.'

'And he's willing to undergo torture for you.'

'That's what friends do.'

'It changes nothing!' The king strides back to his throne, making a show of spinning out his cape before sitting down. All the servants bow as he glances at them. 'You will stay here with me.'

'I will not!' Sarah insists, her attention shifting back to the Doctor.

'Then your friend will die.' The king is very matter of fact.

The Doctor's eyes flutter open, his hand reaching for her. 'Sarah,' he mumbles.

'Shhh, I'm here. It's all right.' Her hand squeezes his before coming to rest on his chest. She can feel him try to sit up, so she moves her hands to his back to help him, her eyes never leaving his face.

The king leers at Sarah. 'You will learn to look at me that way.'

Sarah touches the Doctor's face, and he locks gazes with her, his eyes assuring her that he's all right. Sarah's voice is soft, her entire being focused on the Doctor even as she addresses the king. 'No. It doesn't work that way.'

The king pushes a button and the Doctor begins to spasm again, falling back to the floor, his entire body convulsing as he screams out in pain. Sarah does her best to cradle the Doctor, trying to give him some comfort. 'Fine, Fine!' she yells, her heart breaking. 'I'll stay with you, just stop hurting him!'

As the current stops, the Doctor grabs Sarah's arm. 'Sarah, you can't,' he whispers.

She bends over, her cheek touching his as her eyes close. 'I have to. It's the only way to save you,' she whispers in his ear, keeping her face close to his but to the side so he can't see the tears beginning to fall.

She feels his head shaking and hears the hurt in his voice. 'There's another way, there has to be. We'll find it.'

'I can't let him hurt you anymore.'

The king frowns, disgusted at their tones. 'This is not simple friendship.'

Sarah pulls back and exchanges a long look with the Doctor before finally turning to the king. 'This is years of affection and caring. This is willing to put yourself ahead of someone else, when the only thing that matters is their safety and happiness. This is wanting to be with that person because you enjoy their company, the way they laugh, the way their fingers feel when they're entwined in yours.'

'Is that what your species calls love?'

Sarah looks down, focusing on the ground, not ever wanting to place a label on her feelings for the Doctor. Especially not a term so common. One that doesn't quite feel that it fits. Rather than try to define or deny it, she takes a deep breath and says the easiest thing. 'Yes,' she whispers.

She feels the Doctor pull himself to sit up beside her, his arm sliding around her waist as he leans against her, his body totally weakened. She puts her arm around his back, supporting him, mumbling a silent prayer that perhaps he hadn't heard her words.

'Don't take her away from me,' the Doctor asks softly. 'You want her, but you don't love her. She deserves more than to be objectified by you.'

'Since when do Time Lords entertain this notion of love from lesser species? They gave up the evils of emotional entanglement centuries ago, so you are just as incapable of love as you say I am. Do you think that she deserves to be dragged across the galaxy and endangered by you, Doctor?' the king snarls. 'Ignoring her unless you take some wild flight of fancy? Tell me how she deserves that any more than the lavishness I could bestow upon her as my queen? At least I would provide her all manner of physical comforts and she would never lack for anything.'

The Doctor shakes his head. 'She deserves way better than I could ever give her, but at least I do care, certainly more than you do. I would do anything to protect her.'

'Even to the point of death.'

'Yes,' the Doctor almost hisses the word. Sarah tightens her arm around him.

'This behaviour is foreign to me. These feelings are foreign. To value another's life and happiness over your own.' The king bows his head, his voice contrite. 'Sarah Jane, I would be honoured if you would remain and teach them to me. I give you the choice.'

Sarah's voice is soft. 'I don't belong here. I belong with the Doctor.'

The king refuses to look up at them as he frowns, coming to a decision. 'Leave, now, both of you, before I change my mind.' His words are soft, but neither the Doctor nor Sarah is willing to wait and see if he repeats himself.

Sarah helps the Doctor to stand and they head towards the TARDIS that's parked in the far corner of the throne room. With each step, the Doctor leans more heavily on Sarah, and she supports him as best she can, arms wrapped around him. They trip only once, but the Doctor takes the key and ushers them quickly into the safety of the TARDIS.

Crossing to the console, the Doctor quickly slams the coordinates in and dematerialises, wanting to be away from there as soon as possible. He rests his hands flat on the console and bows his head, pulling strength from the machine. Sarah stands next to him, waiting for him to saying something. When he doesn't, she reaches out and touches his arm.

He jumps back from her as if she was a hot poker. He looks up and sees a flash of the pain that crosses her face before she expertly hides it from him. He mentally kicks himself, knowing that all she wants to do is comfort him. It's been a trying ordeal and he needs distance. Without a word, he tries to give her a reassuring smile. He squeezes her shoulder gently, then turns and makes a beeline for the interior door, not looking back.

Sarah can't stop the tears from welling up. Her emotions are all over the map and at the moment, she doesn't know what to do. She's afraid that the admission of her affection may have permanently destroyed the friendship that she holds so dear. Tapping her hands against the sides of her legs, she makes her way to her room. With the Doctor delving into the depths of the TARDIS for who knows how long, Sarah figures it's best to just try to get some sleep, or at the very least, try to put the last few day's events into perspective.

Four hours pass as Sarah flops in bed from one side to the other. With a sigh, she realises that she's just too wound up to sleep. It's been a long exhausting day for her. For the Doctor too. Every time she closes her eyes, she sees the day's events playing out over and over. She hears the Doctor's screams echoing in her ear.

She sits up and sighs heavily before pulling on her robe and deciding to wander the TARDIS hallways. While it's not often she engages in these nocturnal explorations, she knows that always seems to work for the Doctor when he has to collect his thoughts and she hopes that maybe it will do the same thing for her.

Mostly she stares at the floor, her hands jammed in the pockets of her robe, feeling the vibrations of the moving ship through the soles of her bedroom slippers. Since their return to the TARDIS, the Doctor is notably absent from his normal haunts, as if he's disappeared. Sarah knows both the Doctor and the TARDIS well enough to know that if he doesn't want to be found, she could wander for days. She can even feel that the TARDIS is out of sorts. The normal thrumming noises signifying flight aren't nearly as rhythmic as normal.

Unknown to Sarah, the Doctor paces across the length of one of the boot cupboards in the deep interior of the TARDIS. He throws his coat across the back of the sofa and even takes off his scarf, the normally comfortable wool feeling excessively constrictive. He mutters to himself in Gallifreyan, knowing that even if Sarah were nearby, the TARDIS wouldn't translate.

He plays both sides of the ethical argument he insists on having with himself. It's an argument he's had many times, but this is different. This is Sarah, his best friend. While he's travelled with others and cared for them all, this is the first time that his outward appearance is reasonably compatible with his companion's. Despite all of the tangents he could allow his brain to entertain, it boils down to one thing, they're not the same species. He regenerates, she ages, he can live for thousands of years, she has decades. Yet, he cannot deny that at this very moment, under the same, albeit large, roof, is the creature in the universe he most wants to be with.

In that same moment it both thrills and scares him.

He's done well at keeping his emotions in check, but he knows that the recent events on Andres Six pushed everything to the surface. He jams his hands in his pockets and continues to pace, his mind whirring. He stops abruptly and runs a hand through his hair, his decision made. As a smile takes over his features, he makes his way back towards the console room, knowing Sarah will soon find him there.

Sarah turns a corner and faces a door she knows she hasn't seen in her previous exploration. She walks up to it and puts her hand against it. She feels her stomach suddenly tighten, as if she subconsciously knows that something is about to change. She takes a deep breath before pushing the door open.

Only to discover an empty room.

Sarah walks into the room and takes it in. It looks like a large living room, complete with a couple of reclining chairs and an overstuffed sofa. She knows the Doctor was here, since his coat and scarf still rest across the back of the sofa. Sitting on the sofa, she reaches out and lets her fingers wrap around the scratchy wool of the scarf. She pulls the Doctor's coat around her and balls the scarf up like a pillow, holding it up against her face. She can smell the Doctor on them, the spicy scent that is both comfortably familiar and strangely alien at the same time.

She curls up on the sofa, letting the waves of familiarity wash over and relax her. Within a few moments, she falls asleep.

The Doctor gets halfway to the console room and realises he's left his scarf and coat back in the boot cupboard. He spins on his heels and makes his way back. Opening the door, the first thing he notices is that his coat isn't draped across the sofa any more. Confused, he walks around the sofa and smiles. Sarah is asleep, wrapped in his coat, her hands up near her face but hidden by the sleeves. He kneels in front of the sofa and watches her, deciding whether or not to disturb her sleep.

Studying her face causes all the emotions to come bubbling right back up to the surface. He wants to wake her and tell her everything he's been pondering and what he's decided. Then another thought occurs to him, what if she doesn't feel the same way. He knows that she was willing to stay with the king to keep him safe, but was that just simple friendship, or something more?

He looks at the way her head is pillowed on his scarf and can't stop himself from reaching out to tuck a lock of her hair behind her ear. He wants to hold her and touch her in ways that no self-respecting Time Lord should. If she allows it, he knows their relationship will change in so many ways.

He lets his hand rest lightly on her cheek and watches as her eyes flutter open. 'Hi,' she whispers.

'You look comfortable.' He gestures to his coat and scarf.

'Sorry,' she mumbles as she pushes herself up into a sitting position, looking sheepish.

She starts to slip off his coat, but he holds up a hand to stop her. 'It's all right, Sarah.' As she sits up fully, the Doctor sits next to her. Facing forward, the Doctor takes Sarah's hand in his, their fingers entwining comfortably.

Sarah stares at their fingers. 'How are you feeling?'

'Nothing a good night's sleep won't cure.'

She glances up at him. 'You mean you haven't taken one of your typical catnaps that you're so fond of? Those "instant recharges" as you call them?'

He turns towards her. 'That won't do this time.' She nods, but says nothing. 'Sarah, about what happened earlier—' He stops suddenly, hearing her sniffle. Focusing on her face, he sees the tears pooling at the edges of her eyes, the emotional ordeal catching up with her.

The Doctor puts a hand on the back of her head and can feel her trembling. A part of him wants to run and hide, another part of him knows how much of a risk she took on the planet because of her feelings towards him. And now that he's argued with himself over what to do about it, he knows if he leaves now, they'll never address it.

He slips an arm around her shoulders and pulls her towards him, wrapping both arms around her and pinning her arms between them. Sarah turns her head so that her ear is over one of his hearts. Slowly, she frees her arms, wrapping them around his waist.

He presses his lips against the top of her head. 'You silly, foolish girl,' he whispers.

Sarah's head snaps up, her face a mix of confusion and burgeoning anger. 'What?'

The Doctor covers her lips with his index finger. 'You offered to stay.'

Sarah pulls back from him, raising her voice. 'Excuse me for not wanting you to die.'

He takes her hands in his, his thumbs absently rubbing the back of her hands. His eyes lock with hers. 'I mean that it was very dangerous. You had no way of knowing what the king would do.'

'Does it matter?'

The Doctor starts to react with all the reasons that her choice was illogical, but then he sees the pained expression in her eyes. 'Well, no, not really.' He takes a deep breath. 'I saw that vile look the king gave you,' the Doctor growls, a frown growing as he releases her hands and stands up, beginning to pace.

'And you protected me, but it meant that he hurt you.' Tears flood her eyes. 'I hate that. I'm not worth that much pain.'

He moves to kneel in front of her. 'Sarah Jane Smith, don't you ever say anything like that again.' He takes her face in his hands, his thumbs brushing away the tears as they fall. He whispers, 'I will do anything to keep you safe. Anything.'

Her hands come up to his chest. 'But seeing you in pain.' She takes a deep breath. 'I could've held my own against the king. Until you found another way to get us out of there.'

She hears the nervousness in his voice when he speaks. 'But what if I couldn't? You'd be stuck with him, and I shudder to think what he would've done do you.'

She smiles. 'Not without a fight on my part.'

He moves to sit back down next to her and slips his arm around her shoulders, drawing her close to him. He puts his other arm under her knees, picking her legs up and turning her so that her legs are across his lap. He then sits back and pulls her into his lap, adjusting both arms and cradling her to him. He presses his lips against the top of her head. 'Thank you,' he whispers.

She turns and looks at him, surprise evident in her expression.

He moves one hand to her hair, tucking a section behind her ear before sliding his hand to the back of her head and pulling her towards him until his lips hover just over hers. 'My Sarah Jane,' he whispers before capturing her lips with his.

She responds instantly, one hand coming up to the back of his neck, her fingers reaching up in his curls. Her other arm wraps around his waist as he puts a hand on her back, holding her close.

They only break the kiss because of her need for oxygen. When she looks into his eyes, she sees how dark they've gotten. She smiles, amused that he's reacting the same as a human male. There is a certain amount of possessiveness she feels almost emanating from him. She continues to play with the hair at the base of his neck, even as she slides her other hand underneath the back of his waistcoat. 'There's only one person I want to look at me the way the king did.'

'Is that right?' the Doctor gives her an easy smile, playing innocent. 'And who might that be?'

She laughs and shakes her head at him before leaning in to kiss him again. She pulls back at the last second. 'You like a good mystery. I'll let you figure it out for yourself.'

~!~!~!~


	14. Busted: Four, Sarah

**TITLE: BUSTED**

**PAIRING: Four/Sarah**

**RATING: Teen**

**SUMMARY: AU: The Doctor is caught delivering a package for Sarah Jane.**

Sarah sat in her aunt's kitchen, fingers wrapped tightly around her mug of tea. She knew she was alone in the house, since Lavinia was away on yet another lecture tour. It seemed these days that they travelled on completely opposite schedules, only seeing each other on the odd holiday.

A scraping noise from outside got Sarah's attention. She tilted her head, listening, her ears still sharply tuned from her years of travelling with the Doctor. Back then, a simple noise could be the thing that saved or killed you.

She'd not seen the Doctor since that day he dropped her back off in what was decidedly not Croyden. Since then, she'd closed up her flat and come to stay with her aunt. Some people would accuse her of nursing a broken heart, but in Sarah's mind, it simply gave her a chance to refocus on her career without the demands of so many monthly bills.

She jumped up and headed towards the front door, throwing it open to see a familiar figure pushing a large crate up the walkway. She leaned against the doorway and crossed her arms, watching, the figure completely oblivious to her. Finally, she cleared her throat.

The curly haired Doctor never looked up. 'Ah, hello, I'm delivering this package for Sarah Jane Smith. Could you possibly see that she gets it?'

'Maybe. If you're really nice to me.'

The Doctor's head snapped up and his blue eyes widened. 'Sarah,' he said, his voice a mixture of surprise and perhaps a tinge of something else.

'Doctor.' She stood up straight, but made no attempt to come towards him, as if he was an illusion that might burst at any moment.

He passed the back of his hand across the side of his face before gesturing down at the large crate. 'I brought this for you.'

'You didn't know I was here.'

He shook his head. 'No, I was going to leave it for you. I wanted to let you know that I didn't forget you. I couldn't ever forget you.'

Sarah tentatively took a couple of steps towards him. 'But you couldn't tell me that in person? Why?'

He ran his fingers through his curly hair, but only shrugged, his eyes focusing on the ground. She took another couple of steps towards him, this time close enough to reach out and tentatively touch his arm.

The Doctor looked up to see her standing there, her eyes asking lots of questions that she wouldn't put words to. In her eyes, he could see hope tinged with sadness, affection shadowed by pain. He swallowed, knowing that she could see those things in his eyes as well. She always was able to read him, understanding more of what wasn't said.

He stepped forwards, closing the last of the distance between them, his eyes never leaving hers. He reached out and did the one thing he'd been unable to do when he'd left her before, he pulled her into a tight embrace, holding her as if his lives depended on it.

He felt her breath shudder as her arms came up along the inside of his coat to wrap around his waist. He buried his head in the side of her hair, absently noting that it was shorter and curlier than when he'd left her.

They held each other for the longest time, neither of them daring to move. Sarah finally pulled back enough to look up at him, but not enough to break their embrace. She gestured back towards the still open front door. 'It's freezing, come inside?'

'Go on,' the Doctor encouraged softly. 'I'll push in this crate.'

Sarah shook her head. 'I'm not letting you out of my sight. If I go in that door without you, you'll disappear and I never see you again.'

The Doctor didn't acknowledge her comment, but stepped away and began to push the crate in the door. Sarah fell in behind him and followed him into the house, closing the door behind them. The Doctor pulled his sonic screwdriver out of his pocket and aimed it at the crate, opening it up. Sarah watched him, then reached in to lift off the protective wrapping.

She looked in the crate. 'What is it?'

'It's a K9 unit.' He reached in and lifted the robot dog out of the crate and set it on the floor.

Sarah knelt down and touched the keypad on the back. 'And what is that for the uninitiated?'

The dog lifted its head. 'Greetings Mistress.'

Sarah continued to look the dog over, taking in the details, complete to the collar that matched the Doctor's scarf. 'Did you build this?'

The Doctor only nodded in reply. K9 continued, 'I was instructed to give you a message.'

'K9, that's not necessary,' the Doctor quickly cut in.

'No, K9, I want to hear it.' Sarah looked up at the Doctor and saw the embarrassment written on his face.

'Give Sarah Jane Smith my fondest love. Tell her I shall remember her always.'

Tears came to Sarah's eyes as she stood up. 'Thank you, K9.' She turned back to the Doctor and put her hands over his hearts, leaning up on her toes to kiss his cheek. 'And thank you, Doctor,' she whispered in his ear.

He held her once again, not wanting to be far away from her. 'Come with me, Sarah. You and K9. There's so much of the universe I still want to show you.'

'Why?' Sarah asked, her head resting against his chest, her hands wrapping around his scarf.

'What?' he asked harshly, but without breaking their embrace. 'Why? You mean why would I want you with me?'

She looked up at him. 'Doctor, fifteen minutes ago, you were just going to drop off K9 without me even knowing it. Now you're here, we're together and you want me to come with you. So yes, I want to know why. Give me a reason.'

He brought up his hands to hold her face. 'The one thing I was most afraid of happened.' He saw the confusion in Sarah's face. He gave her an easy smile before his look turned very serious. 'Leaving you before was the hardest thing I've ever done.' He voice dropped to a level that turned Sarah's knees to jelly. 'Please don't make me do it again.'

'Give Sarah my fondest love?' Sarah repeated K9's message. She tilted her head, watching the Doctor's eyes. She knew there were some things he could never say, things that were not in his nature. She leaned up, this time pressing a long but chaste kiss against his lips. When she pulled back, he could see the tears that pooled in the edges of her eyes. 'Likewise,' she smiled.

He slid his hands down her arms to take her hands in his. 'Is that a yes?' he asked hopefully.

'Just try and stop me.'

~!~!~!~


	15. Bunk Beds are Cool: Sarah, Amy Pond

**TITLE: BUNK BEDS ARE COOL  
**

**CHARACTERS: implied Four/Sarah, Amy  
**

**RATING: Teen**

**SUMMARY: Amy Pond has a chat with Sarah Jane Smith  
**

Amelia "Amy" Pond found herself standing in the kitchen of 13 Bannerman Road chatting with former companion of the Doctor, Sarah Jane Smith. Amy watched as the older woman moved around the kitchen making tea. 'And you know what gets me,' Amy continued. 'He put us in a room with bunk beds. I mean, we just got married and all he could say was "Bunk beds are cool." Always reminds me that he's not human. I mean, bunk beds, really.' Amy realised that Sarah stopped moving and seemed lost in thought. 'Sarah Jane, what's wrong?'

Amy's calling her by name brought Sarah out of her reverie. She turned around to face the younger woman. 'You know Amy, there's nothing wrong with bunk beds.'

'For newlyweds?'

Sarah gave her a knowing smile. 'Close proximity.'

'Yea, but—' Amy realised what Sarah was implying. 'Oh.' She smiled. 'Are you serious?'

Sarah handed Amy a steaming mug of tea and continued to grin. 'Bunk beds are cool.'


	16. All in the Name of Research: Four, Sarah

**Four/Sarah, Zip Me - one character dressing/undressing another**

**ALL IN THE NAME OF RESEARCH**

'That is the last time I let you near the ginger beer unsupervised,' Sarah muttered to the inebriated Doctor. His arm was draped along Sarah's shoulders and he leaned most of his weight against her. She had her arm around his waist as she practically dragged him along the TARDIS corridor towards his room.

'Ginger beer is good,' the Doctor gave her an exaggerated smile.

'Uh huh, and you can sleep this off the same way a human would alcohol.' As they got to his door, Sarah reached out with one arm and opened it. 'In you get,' she gestured into the room.

She started to leave, but the Doctor grabbed her by the hand and pulled her close. She looked up at him in time to see him waggle his eyebrows. 'You could stay.'

She gave him a gentle shove, causing him to plop down on the bed. She started unwinding the scarf from around his neck. 'That's probably not the best idea when you're drunk.'

'I'm not drunk,' he slurred.

'Right, and I'm Queen Victoria.' She tossed the scarf across the nearby chair before turning back to help him shrug out of his coat.

His voice dropped an octave as he kicked off his shoes. 'I'll be your Prince Albert.'

She continued untying the silk cravat around his neck and then started working on the buttons of his waistcoat. 'Don't think you can get to me with that tone of voice.' She took both articles of clothing and turned to drop them on the chair before heading towards the door.

Before she could get to the door, the Doctor was standing at her back, his arms snaking around her waist and pulling her flush to his chest. 'I could find other ways to get to you.'

Sarah froze, having heard the change in his tone of voice.

'Time Lords have a unique ability to metabolise intoxicants at will,' he whispered in her ear. 'So I think you'll find, my dear Sarah, that I am the epitome of sobriety.'

'Then you can put yourself to bed, yes?' Sarah asked softly.

'What is the human expression about being tucked in? I do believe you have more tucking to do.'

'Is that so?' Sarah asked as she turned in his embrace. She looked up at him and smiled. 'Then I suppose you could tell me which bits I may have missed.'

He stepped backwards, pulling her with him. 'I think it bears examining the process through to full completion, which I do believe involves at least one of us being in bed.'

She nodded, agreeing with him. 'And which one of us did you have in mind that being?'

He looked off to one side, frowning as if deep in thought before turning back to her, his smile beaming. 'I think the most amicable solution would be an equal opportunity for both of us to be tucked in. However, I would need more research on the matter, if you'd consent to be my willing assistant.'

Sarah smirked. 'I think I might be willing to help. All in the name of research, of course.'

'Oh of course,' he smiled. 'Of course.'

~!~!~!~


End file.
